Vail Stables

Friendly and warm staff, beautiful surroundings, and calm horses made this a superb experience. In the summer, it may be best to ride in the morning to avoid afternoon storms. We booked the 1.5 hour ride through the aspen forest and suggest this be a mandatory activity if you’re visiting in the Fall. Don’t miss this experience!

My daughter who is 7 and I signed up for the 60 minute trail ride. My daughter had never ridden a horse (other than a lead pony ride) and it had been YEARS since I had been on a horse. We did not sign up for a private tour, but that was what we got. Our trail leader was Avery. She was very nice and patient helping my daughter get the hang of controlling the horse. She took pictures of us and gave us lots of fun and interesting facts about the area, trees, wildlife, etc… I give this experience a 10!
We loved the trail ride so much we signed up for a 90 minute trail ride later in the week. This time we were in a large group, but having experience from earlier in the week, we felt like pro’s.
My only constructive criticism from this ride, was there were 2 trail leaders. One at the front and one in the middle. At first the middle leader would repeat what was being said for the back 6 riders. Later in the ride, he stopped and we had trouble hearing any instructions that were being given. My daughter and I felt fine since we were now «old pro’s» (wink wink) but the family behind me was not happy about it.
If you are ever visiting the vail area — definitely give them a call… or just check the web site. We will be back :-)

Our group of five adults and three children made a reservation the day before we arrived at Vail Stables. We were led on the 1.5 hour tour by 3 wranglers/​employees. Two children (age 6) and one terrified adult were attached by lead rope to the wranglers, providing a comfortable and safe experience. Elizabeth, Christian and Nu-​Nu provided us all with an excellent experience and were very patient with our group. A group discount applied, taking the cost down to $ 80pp. Highly recommend!

My boyfriend and I booked the 1.5 hour tour. We arrived a little early and saddled up almost immediately since we were the only two booked for that ride at that time! Our wrangler Justin was kind, professional, and such a pleasure to ride with. I would give him 5 stars! The view was majestic with all the aspens leaves around us.
A little disappointed we did not see any wildlife. Only thing that came close was hearing a woodpecker doing its thing.
Any one that goes should ask for Justin! He was what made the experience for us! They are lucky to employ such a pleasant young man!

This place was great. My wife, daughter and I signed up for the 1.5 hr trail ride (the Bear Hollow Trail). Our guide was Matt, and he was great; friendly and knowledgable, and took a great picture of us that he texted to us after the ride was over. The trail took us up over 1100 feet, starting with a climb with great views of the mountains and valley below. We then went through a beautiful Aspen grove, very picturesque and serene. They raise all of their own horses and they all seemed happy and were very well mannered. The entire family enjoyed themselves and would do it again. Only a short drive from Avon, Beaver Creek, and minutes from downtown Vail.

We drove up to vail stables for an impromptu trail ride & the folks were ready for us! Courteous and friendly service! The horses were well trained and knew the trail well, our wrangler Jared was wonderful and made sure we were safe and pointed out nature highlights and wildlife. A wonderful experience overall we will certainly be back!

We booked the 1 hour ride at 3pm and almost missed it due to getting stuck on a hike when conditions turning a little dicey with snow melt in late June. At any rate I am so glad we made the tour. All 4 in our party had a fantastic time. Our wrangler was friendly and patient. This was the first time our kids, 12 and 10, had ridden horses, and they enjoyed the experience immensely. The views of Vail were spectacular! It made for a relaxing time after a difficult morning hike.

3 of us did a 2 hour ride with Carsten & had a great time. Carsten was very laid back and very friendly. My wife had a bad experience with a horse when she was young & Carsten made her feel very safe & secure. Nice ride thru some great scenery. Saw a bull elk & several deer. Very nice would highly recommend.

We just spent a week in Vail and our 2.5 year old is OBSESSED with horses. After calling around, we found out that Vail Stables is the only outfit in/​near Vail that lets the little ones get out of the corral. For $ 20 you get a pony for 20 minutes — the staff gives a quick instruction and then you get to take the pony for a walk of your choice — a much better value than paying $ 10 to let the kids walk in a circle for a couple of minutes. We went up a trail in the hills, very similar to what the big horses were doing. Great views and photos, and our son LOVED it. So much that we went six days in a row, and he’s asked to go to their pony camp next year. The staff was friendly and helpful, and answered every question our little guy could think of. We will definitely be back!

My friends and I booked a 2 hour ride, and it couldn’t have been more beautiful. We had a mix of riding levels with us, and the horses they chose for everyone were lovely, and seemed very well taken care of. The views on the ride were amazing, and I’m so glad I decided to book our trail ride with this stable.

We did the 2 hour ride and it was fantastic. The horses were well trained and Jubal the guide was friendly and informative. The scenery was awesome. We will be back!

This was an incredible adventure, well worth the money. Be at one with nature. Neat trails and good pace. We did the 2 hour tour, it was perfect. Our horses names were Kip, Todd and Tom. Our guide’s name Jubal, really tall cowboy. He was friendly and informative. We had a blast! Thx!

My daughter and I booked the 90 minute tour. It was perfect for us. The guide (the owner’s father) was both friendly and caring — nothing was too much trouble for him. Check in was simple and efficient. The group contained all novice riders, but we all felt very much at ease from start to finish.
We stopped periodically to take pictures — the views were amazing and we even spotted some wildlife sharing the beautiful afternoon with us.
All in all — a wonderful afternoon. Highly recommend it.

We had the best day coming to Vail Stables!
It was a little rainy to start, but they provided rain coats for your ride and it still went on as planned. The rain, however, didn’t bother us and lasted 15 min. We rode for 1.5 hours and it was just my fiancé, the guide, and myself.
The trail ride in no way felt touristy — it was a perfect Colorado experience with great views (seriously amazing) and lots of wildlife.
It was easy to make same day reservations, service was great, and we left with zero complaints!
Our horses names were Mac and Belle. :)

This was hands down the best part of our recent weekend in vail. We took the Bear Hollow ride which had amazing views of Vail. It was very peaceful winding through old aspens. I feel very thankful and fortunate that my husband and I were able to experience this. We were unfortunate to be a part of large group of very (VERY!) spoiled ladies who were very damanding and upset over payments which they claim to have made in advance which they obviously hadn’t. THE rudest people I have witnessed in a very long time. Those poor sweet stable workers. Luckily our guide Megan recognized quickly we were not with them so let us ride in the back with her. She was really down to earth and you could easily tell she was very appreciative of what she does. Thank you Megan and Vail Stables for such a great afternoon!

I live in Denver, and when my friends came in to town with very little notice I wanted to find something really fun to do with them. I found Vail Stables online and it was so easy to make a same day reservation. I loved that we were able to pay separately when we got there– the credit card info submitted online is just to hold our spot. I also love that we got to ride as our own group, without a bunch of strangers (I like people, but it’s easier to get great, frame-​worthy pictures when there are not 100 other people around). Kendra, our guide, was AWESOME! She knew all the great spots for pictures and was happy to stop for group shots. She was also super friendly and knowledgeable about the area. We had SO MUCH FUN! My friends and I can’t stop talking about it, and I will be back for sure to ride again. Vail Stables made our day. We couldn’t be happier.

What a magical experience! Kaylee was our guide and she was so wonderful! We took out two boys (10 & 8) for a Saturday afternoon ride. The horse we’re gentle and very well cared for, Kaylee was helpful and kind — and the views were SPECTACULAR! This is not a touristy trail ride with hot, overworked horses! These folks care about their mounts and their guests! I encourage you to spent some time at Vail Stables — you will be glad you did!!!

Poor Customer Service by the guy taking the money

Great ride with great views. Our guide Troy was friendly and knowledgable about the area and the things we would see along the trail; including flora, fauna, geology, geography, and history. However, he only spoke when it was called for. It really allowed us to just enjoy the ride, for the ride. The horses were healthy, well mannered, and sure footed on the narrow paths. We had a great time. Suggestions: Pee before you ride, and bring a camera thats easy to use one handed.

I had booked a 2hr tour at 8am on my trip to Vail. I am an experienced horseback rider, and go trail riding wherever I can! I had an amazing time! It was just the guide and I (so sorry I can’t remember his name) cute cowboy! They were riding in the rodeo too that weekend! Beautiful relaxing ride, got the most outstanding photos! Got to see a bunch of animals too, unfortunately I didnt see any bears! :)
HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!